Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-07
POWDERLY IS ON TOP.
THE GRAND MASTER WORKMAN STILL
HOLDS THE FORT.
Strength Of the Administration Shown in the Buchanan
Aaair-The Color Line in the Assembly
The New Constitution Under
Fre-R0utine Work.

MINNEAPOLIS, October 6.-The strength
Of the administration and anti-administra-
ton forces was ascertained last evening" on
the vote by which J. R. Buchanan was re-
fused admittance as a delegate-97 to 20
There is now no doubt but that the ad-
ministration ''holds the fort, +" and that the
administration will carry every point.
The present officers will remain another
year in power, with the exception, posi-
bly,, of Barry and Bailey, of the General
Executive Board, who will either resign or
be forced out.
Buchanan's friends are bitter in their
denunciation of the methods employed in
depriving him of his seat on technicality,
while a Pittsburg delegate has been admit
ted who is not entitled to a seat BY reason
of not having been a member of the order
eighteen months. The Pittsburg delegate
referred to is Thomas Casey, of D. A. ..
1t is authoritively stated that his creden-
tials were unsigned, and that Homer Nc
Cav, Recording Secretary of the district,
not only refused to sign them, but entered
on the face Of them protest setting forth
the fact that he had not been a member of
the order eighteen months; yet the same
vote that seated Casey unseated Buchanan.
1t is hard to conjecture what will be the
result of all this, and what course the mi
nority will pursue will be watched with
interest.
THE COLOR LINE DRAWN.
Miss Cassie Hollingsworth, of Pine Bluff,
Ark, the colOred lady delegate, is a rather
prepOSsessing OctorOon, of slender build
and wasp.like waist, and is neatly and
plainly dressed. Her complexion is so
nearly white that she could promenade
the streets and be readily taken
for a handsome brunette. On the
left of the General Master Workman's
cnair are seats reserved for the use of lady
delegates and occupied by all the white
lady delegates, while Miss Hollingsworth
is relegated TO the rear, and the delegates
OF the famous d. A. 49, of New York, OC-
cupy seats in front of her.
At Richmond, d. A. 40 had a colored
delegate. black as coal. They placed him
at the head of their delegation of sixty-One
members, and when he was refused admis-
sion to white" hotel the entire delega-
ton went with their colored brother to a
"colored" hotel They also forced him
along with them into theater, almost
creating a riot. 1t was more than suspect
ed that they were not sincere, but sought
notoriety for themselves and the Home
Club, as well as political capital to be used
in future campaigns. Now they crowd in
front of a poor, detenceless woman, in
whose veins but few drops of Ethiopian
blood course, and she is compelled to oc-
cupy a seat alone and very near the exit
door.
NEW CONSTITUTION UNDER CONsIDERA-
TION.
To-day the validity of the new constitu-
tiOn is being considered. The constitu-
tion of 1883 provided that changes or al
terations could only be made at a regular
session of the General Assembly by two
thirds vote, and all amendments must be
submitted to the local assemblies at least
sixty days prior to the meeting of the
General Assembly, so that the representa-
tives could he instructed how TO vote.
At the Hamilton, Ont, session, 1885,
amendments to the constitution were Of
fered which had not been submitted sixty
days, as required, and L. b. Mcclure, the
"HOme Clubber." asked POwderly for
decision. The General Master Workman
ruled as follows: Resolutions amending
the constitution of the General Assembly
could not be acted upon unless presented
sixty days prior TO the session."
Eight months afterward, at the special
session OF Cleveland MAY, 1856 the same
question arose and NcGuire again called
for decision, and Powderly reallirmed the
Hamilton decision. At Cleveland spec
ial committee to revise the constitution
was appointed by Powderly, with Litch-
man as Chairman, with instructions to re-
wise and send to the Local Assemblies
within sixty days the new constitution so
they could instruct their representatives to
the General Assembly. They revised it,
but failed to send il to the Local Assem-
blies for approval.
The representatives knew nothing con.
cerning the new constitution until few
minutes before it came up for decision at
Richmond. The question Of the constitu-
tionality of amending the constitution
without sixty days notice, and this time
POwderly made decision.
CONTRARY TO HIS FORMER ONES q.
at Hamilton and Cleveland, and decided
that the constitution could be legally
amended without SIXTY days NOTICE.
Fhe only important amendments made
at Richmond were to create the Office OF
Secretary, abolish the Insurance Secretary
ship and General Auditor, and extending
the term of officers for two years. instead
instead of one year. As soon as this was
done, the balance of the constitution was
referred to another committee and election
officers became the order of business.
The committee proceeded to revise the
constitution again, and last June it was
sent out to the locals for their approval or
disapproval. Many locals did not get
copy. Only a few days we've given to cOnsid-
er book of ninety-six pages, and but one
copy was sent to local, some of which
have from 500 to 1000 members. one
local in Pittsburg of 400 members had but
one copy and fve days to consider it, and
all who did not report within the limit Ia
few days. were counted as voting in the
affirmative. Thousands of locals did not
return a vote and were counted in ,he
affirmative
Litchlnan announced the vote in favor
of the new constitution, but has ever since
refused to give the figures.
BIG DECREASE IN MEMBERSHIP.
The statement is created 70 Secretary
Litchman that in tue past lew weeks he
has suspended over two hundred assem-
blies. A Pittsburg delegate tells your
correspondent that in the Pittsburg dis
trict the average membership is about one
hundred and ten per assembly. Taking
this as an average it will show loss to the
order Of fully 10000 members within
month.
THE THIRD DAYS SESSION.
Overtures Made by the Farmers Alliance
-Buehanan's Friends Give IL Up.
MINNEAPOLIS, October p.-When the